Past Traditions and Resolutions
by Ren Kayashima
Summary: While at a New Year's Party, Garcia and Reid discus their family traditions and try to find a Resolution for the young doctor. Written for Chit Chat on Author's Corner New Year's Challenge. A little bit has been added detail wise.


Author: Ren Kayashima

Genre: Friendship/Slight Romance

Rating: K+

Pairing: Reid/Garcia

Disclaimer: I really hate that I have to do this. I do not own Criminal Minds. The title and its characters belong to CBS and its original creator.

Written for Chit Chat on Author's Corner New Year's Challenge.

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Garcia observed the swarms of people as they continued to drink and laugh, waiting for the New Year. The bar they were in was gaudily decorated with the cheap decoration found at a Party City. Streamers and Noisemakers were scattered all around ready for the taking. The dark wood support beams had fallen victim to the bright multi-colored banners that read "Happy New Year 2011", while some seats were covered in glitter and confetti.

She unconsciously dipped her green olive into her dirty martini. She was in a lime green and fuchsia dress that fell just below her knees. She had expertly curled her two pig tails adding volume and a certain flair to her already bright getup.

Some of the bar patrons were standing around casually drinks in hand. While other were slouched over in their bar stools nursing their ninth, tenth drink. Although full of life and deafening chatter, Garcia found herself settled in and ready to bring in the New Year with her BAU family.

She looked around the bar to find her friends enjoying the cheap drinks and easy companionship. She found Prentiss and Seaver across the bar talking with two extremely gorgeous men. Morgan was being the party animal he happily boasts, surrounded by scores of women. Kevin was leaning on his arm giggling to himself as he moved his beer glass back and forth. JJ and Will were in a corner, heads close, holding hands.

"Where is my junior G-man?" she mused looking for the youngest member of the team.

A smile formed on her bright pink lips when she saw three women leave a table revealing the ever flustered Reid. He sat in a chair with the slightest slouch. It had pulled up his khaki pant legs to reveal two different stripped socks, one green, the other yellow. He wore his ever present dark sweater over a light brown casual button up.

She sauntered over to the young genius and took a seat next to him. She peered over her lime green glasses and smiled wider. "What's going on in that brilliant mind of yours?"

"I can't talk to women," Reid huffed.

This wasn't unusual for the doctor. It was something he had struggled with his entire life. He was the geek who understood the finest details of engineering, but heaven forbid, he could carry on a simple conversation with a woman. Perhaps they were far more complicated than a turbo combustion engine.

"Oh, sugar, you just aren't talking to the right ones," Garcia laughed. "Come on, talk to Garci. What else is going on?" She popped her green olive into her mouth and her smile grew as she watched Reid move his glass of coke around awkwardly.

"I was thinking about my mom," Reid answered after a beat. "Before I went to CalTech."

"Ah, the Reid family tradition," Garcia sighed. "So what was it that your family did on New Year's Eve?"

"My mom and I would stay up all night reading from her books, eating popcorn," Reid began. "Our home was close enough to the strip, that we were able to watch the fireworks from out patio. We would pause for a bit, just watching them."

"That's sweet," Garcia smiled. She took a small sip from her drink as she flicked her eyes around trying to catch the smallest bits of dialogue from the crowd. It proved to be a futile task, she was lucky is she could hear her own thoughts. As it was Reid had to yell to get his voice loud enough for her to hear.

"What about you?" Reid asked.

"Oh, I grew up in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco," Garcia said a small smile forming as she remembered her parents. "My family would spend every year in Crissy Field. The first New Year I remember, I was on my dad's shoulders looking up at the sky as the fireworks went off."

"That sounds fun," Reid said. He looked at his watch. "Five minutes to midnight."

"So tell me my gorgeous piece of grey matter," Garcia started twirling her toothpick around in the vodka/vermouth blend. "What is your New Year's resolution?"

"I don't have one," Reid answered as he picked up his glass. He studied the perspiration intently as gravity pulled the water down the glass.

"Blaspheme," Garcia gasped, "Well, sweet cheeks, you have five minutes to come up with one."

"Why do I need a New Year's resolution?" Reid set his glass down and continued to move it back and forth over the small bit of condensation that helped it slide effortlessly over the polished wood.

"It's a New Year's requirement," Garcia said.

"Oh yeah?" Reid asked leaning back in his chair. "Then what's yours?"

"I want to spend more time out of my lair and instead spend it with my BAU family," Garcia answered proudly. He pigtails bobbed as she gave a quick nod, obviously satisfied with her resolution.

"I don't need to eat better, stop smoking, get my finances in order, or go back to school," Reid began. "To be honest, I've never made a New Year's resolution."

"Three minutes to go," the bartender called causing the bar to erupt in cheers.

"You heard the man," Garcia smirked as the crowd quieted down some. Reid shifted awkwardly placing his left foot on top of his right knee.

"I don't know!" Reid threw his hands up in the air slightly aggravated with the whole idea of a New Year's Resolution.

"That's a first," Garcia snorted. She tipped her martini glass a bit more into her mouth to get the last remaining bits of alcohol.

"Hey," Reid pouted. He folded his arms and looked up at the decorated ceiling in thought.

"One minute to go," Garcia chimed as she ran her finger over the salt rimmed glass collecting the few specs she missed.

Reid smiled. "I want to find someone I can talk to," he said.

Garcia looked up at the television above the bar. It was currently tuned to the Times Square Ball Drop. She smiled at her companion. "Don't worry. You will. If not this year, than the next."

"Why is it that I can talk to you?" Reid asked.

"Ten, nine, eight-" The bar began the classic countdown.

"Because, you and I aren't so different," Garcia smiled brightly.

"Five, four, three, two, one," Garcia and Reid joined in the countdown.

"Happy New Year!" The bar shouted. Some screamed. Balloons fell from a make-shift device and the bar patrons greedily grabbed at them. Garcia batted one away as it fell towards Reid lap.

Garcia stood up straightening her dress. "Well, my work here is done," she chirped. "And yours has begun, Mr. Designated Driver."

Garcia and Reid looked around the bar. "Thank you, Garcia." Reid said standing up.

Garcia leaned over and kissed Reid on the cheek. "You are most welcome Doctor."

Reid touched his cheek as Garcia went to assist Kevin in his current inebriated state. _Someday, I'll find someone like you,_ he thought. He looked around one final time and quietly thanked Garcia for being in his life.

**The End**

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Author's Note: Well this was my first one-shot for the cannon characters. I really enjoyed writing it and I think I need to do it more often. What do you think? Drop me a review to let me know. I hope you all enjoyed it.

Okay, so almost seventeen hours after posting this I got some reviews and I decided I was no longer satisfied with it. So I've fixed it up somewhat.

Ren


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